The 5 Most Common Holiday Injuries and How to Prevent Them
The holiday season is a time to celebrate and enjoy the festive activities with your loved ones, reflect on the past year, and prepare for the new year. However, the extra activities, gatherings, and travel could result in accidents and injuries if you aren’t careful. Continue reading to learn about the five most common holiday injuries and how to avoid them.
- Falls
Decorations are a key element to the holiday season to get into the festive spirit. To hang up lights outside or put the star on top of your Christmas tree, you may have to use a ladder. Any time you use a ladder, it’s important to practice ladder safety. According to a study done by the Center of Disease Control (CDC), there were 17,465 people treated for holiday decorating related injuries over the course of three years, 43% of those injuries being falls from ladders.
To safely use a ladder, make sure you have a ladder that has the proper weight requirements, the ladder is in working condition, do not overreach while on the ladder, and have another person there to stabilize the ladder.
2. Fires
The chances of a fire starting in your home get much higher around the holidays. With more cooking happening, candles burning, power strips powering multiple strings of lights, flammable decorations, and more, fires become a more likely possibility.
To prevent fires, never leave cooking food unattended, place lit candles in a safe space away from anything flammable, keep your Christmas tree properly watered to prevent it from becoming dry, and do not overload electrical sockets or power strips with lights.
3. Car Accidents
During the holidays, you may travel around to visit multiple sets of loved ones. However, the time between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day can be some of the deadliest days to drive. Based on a study done by the National Safety Council, it is estimated that 371 people die on roadways in the United States during the holiday period of December 23rd to December 26th. It is extremely important to practice safe driving to prevent an accident.
Ways to practice safe driving include having a designated driver if there is any drinking involved at holiday gatherings, wearing your seatbelt, driving defensively, do not drive when tired, and making sure your car is in good working condition.
4. Cuts
Throughout the extra cooking and baking for holiday meals, you may slip up and get a cut. Or while opening packages or wrapping presents. Cuts can range from minor injuries to severe, requiring stitches from the hospitals.
To prevent a cut, be careful when handling scissors or knives. Even if you’re in a rush, safety with sharp objects should be your top priority.
5. Toy Related Injuries
The holidays are the season for giving. When gifting to children, it’s important to pick safe toys. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that there were 198,000 toy-related injuries in 2020 treated in emergency departments. To prevent an emergency room visit during the holidays, take the proper steps to prevent one.
When purchasing a gift for a child, make sure it is age-appropriate, doesn’t have any small pieces for toddlers, research any recalls on toys before purchasing, and provide any safety or protective gear when gifting bikes, scooters, or riding toys.
If you do experience one of these most common holiday season injuries caused by the negligence of someone else, it’s time to hire a personal injury lawyer. Our attorneys at J. Stein Law firms are here to assist you through the personal injury claim process so you can focus on recovering. Call us today for a free consultation to discuss your potential case.
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5348a1.htm
https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle/holidays/christmas-day/
https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/Toy-Related-Deaths-and-Injuries-2020.pdf
